alter
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɔːl.tə/, /ˈɒl.tə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɔl.tɚ/
- (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɑl.tɚ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔːltə(ɹ)
- Homophone: altar
- Hyphenation: al‧ter
Etymology 1Edit
From Old French alterer (French altérer), from Medieval Latin alterare (“to make other”), from Latin alter (“the other”), from al- (seen in alius (“other”), alienus (“of another”), etc.; see alias, alien, etc.) + compar. suffix -ter.
VerbEdit
alter (third-person singular simple present alters, present participle altering, simple past and past participle altered)
- (transitive) To change the form or structure of.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Psalms 89:34:
- My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
- c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:
- No power in Venice can alter a decree.
- 1709, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: Printed for W. Lewis […], published 1711, OCLC 15810849:
- It gilds all objects, but it alters none.
- (intransitive) To become different.
- (transitive) To tailor clothes to make them fit.
- (transitive) To castrate, neuter or spay (a dog or other animal).
- (transitive) To affect mentally, as by psychotropic drugs or illness.
- 2016 February 10, Sydney Pruitt and Claire Ricke (quoting Jeff Barrick), "Police: Man lying in street hit, killed by Capital Metro bus", KXAN:
- We don't know if he was altered on alcohol or drugs or anything […]
- 2016 February 10, Sydney Pruitt and Claire Ricke (quoting Jeff Barrick), "Police: Man lying in street hit, killed by Capital Metro bus", KXAN:
Alternative formsEdit
- altre (obsolete)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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Further readingEdit
- alter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- alter in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Etymology 2Edit
Probably from alter ego.
NounEdit
alter (plural alters)
- (especially in the plural) An identity or headmate of a person with dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder).
- As this is a medicalized term, many people with DID may choose not to use this word in response to the stigma surrounding it. Others choose to use it as a way to "reclaim" the word.
ReferencesEdit
Etymology 3Edit
NounEdit
alter (plural alters)
- (proscribed) Alternative form of altar.
- 2002, Nicholas Smeed, Resurrections: Vignettes About Discovery, Relationships, Personal Empowerment, And Preternatural Experiences, Xlibris Corporation (→ISBN), page 26:
- As an alter boy he remembered that walking between the alter and the gates was prohibited for everyone except the priest.
- 2007, Jerry P. Martinez, Leche De Coyote, Xlibris Corporation (→ISBN), page 39:
- The hardest part of being an alter boy was learning Latin. The mass was conducted in Latin and we had to learn to pray in Latin.
- 2009, Todd Sprague, Survive, Todd Sprague (→ISBN), page 142:
- On the alter, several candles sat unlit. An open bible rested among the candles. Behind the alter, hanging high, a huge cross was affixed to the wall, with a replica of Jesus in rags nailed to it. A simple wooden door stood closed behind the alter […]
- 2011, Suzanne Dekeyzer James, The Stone Harp, Xlibris Corporation (→ISBN), page 146:
- Truth motioned to Alexandra, “There; the key is kept on the alter.” She spotted it easily, for it was now well lighted by an amber colored presence light. She and the others moved quickly toward the alter.
- 2018, William Francis Jack, Alter Boy Rules, Lulu Press, Inc (→ISBN)
- Third-rate alter boy. Skinny, lousy face, brown hair with a cowlick as big as Sputtnik. So as not to go on about it, I can put it in one word: Butt-ugly.
- 2002, Nicholas Smeed, Resurrections: Vignettes About Discovery, Relationships, Personal Empowerment, And Preternatural Experiences, Xlibris Corporation (→ISBN), page 26:
Usage notesEdit
Usually considered a misspelling.
AnagramsEdit
DanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old Norse altari, from Old Saxon altari, from Late Latin altare (“altar”). Cognate with English altar and German Altar.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
alter n (singular definite altret or alteret, plural indefinite altre)
- (religion) altar, a table or a platform for making sacrifices.
- (Christianity) altar, the ritual space of a Christian church.
InflectionEdit
ReferencesEdit
“alter” in Den Danske Ordbog
GermanEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
alter
- inflection of alt:
IndonesianEdit
EtymologyEdit
From English alter, from Old French alterer (French altérer), from Medieval Latin alterare (“to make other”), from Latin alter (“the other”).
PronunciationEdit
Pronunciation influenced by Latin alter.
VerbEdit
alter
- to alter, to tailor clothes to make them fit.
Further readingEdit
- “alter” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.
LatinEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Proto-Indo-European *h₂élteros (“the other of two”) (akin to English other). Akin to alius. Confer with ulter.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
alter (feminine altera, neuter alterum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er, pronominal)
DeclensionEdit
First/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er, pronominal).
Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | alter | altera | alterum | alterī | alterae | altera | |
Genitive | alterīus | alterōrum | alterārum | alterōrum | |||
Dative | alterī | alterīs | |||||
Accusative | alterum | alteram | alterum | alterōs | alterās | altera | |
Ablative | alterō | alterā | alterō | alterīs | |||
Vocative | alter | altera | alterum | alterī | alterae | altera |
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
- Aragonese: atro
- Aromanian: altu
- Asturian: otru
- Catalan altre, altri
- Dalmatian: jultro
- Franco-Provençal: ôtro
- French: autre, autrui
- Friulian: altri
- Galician: outro
ReferencesEdit
- alter in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- alter in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- alter in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
- Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- one or two days: unus et alter dies
- one, two, several days had passed, intervened: dies unus, alter, plures intercesserant
- one or two days: unus et alter dies
Norwegian BokmålEdit
Etymology 1Edit
NounEdit
alter n (definite singular alteret / altret, indefinite plural alter / altere / altre, definite plural altera / altra / altrene)
- an altar
Etymology 2Edit
NounEdit
alter m
- indefinite plural of alt
Norwegian NynorskEdit
Alternative formsEdit
NounEdit
alter n (definite singular alteret, indefinite plural alter, definite plural altera)
- an altar